The Games I Play...

Still the best in the Caesar series. But, I can't find a working version any more. My old CDs don't get along with Windows 10 and neither Steam or GOG seem to have a Caesar that works reliably. I try all the fixes suggested (within reason) but the game just keeps shutting down or not starting at all. I miss playing.

Thank you to RoadWolf on Steam who gifted me with version VI. I'm still getting the new twists figured out. I've never gotten high up in levels of Civ but I've won games as the last woman standing, first to get space flight and so on. Best of all, when I get annoyed with the other rulers, I just shut the game down. They never defeat me!

This is a nice, simple replacement (or alternative) for many of the games I used to play on Facebook. All those farm, village, city builders which nag you for money while giving limited turns and digital image files you don't have any rights to. If you need to break the Facebook game habit, try Virtual Villages. It is available on Steam and mobile (I play on Steam).

Villagers need to be trained to complete tasks and build up their community with farming, building, healing, science, and making babies. A new villager starts independently playing as a 2 year old. Grows up to begin work at 14, is able to become a parent at 18 and then continues on until old age. They do die and are buried in cemetery plots.

Pick up villagers and drop them where you want them to perform tasks. They will try to learn, work at it and tell you "No" sometimes. Just haul them back, sometimes you have to push them several times before they accept the task. Villagers also have likes and dislikes which change how they feel about the work you set for them.

There are 5 games in the series. Games 1 to 3 are available on Steam.

It's become a dinosaur but still just dorky and good looking to play once in awhile. My nephew, Zack, and I still have fond memories of playing Majesty and listening to the narrator sing (when you find the secret to activating it).

In Majesty you are the ruler of a kingdom battling tides and random creatures which are all drawn to your little kingdom. Some build caves, sewers (rats) and other homes in the area. These you can find (the map emerges as you send heros exploring) and fight. Heros get paid in gold. To get them to fight or explore you set flags on the map (or monsters). Higher rewards get more interest from the heros.

However, your gold is limited. Your kingdom makes gold from running markets, blacksmiths and trading posts. Of course, monsters continually show up to attack all these places and will sometimes tear them down, limiting your income until you can afford to build them again. Upgrades can be bought for your castle, village buildings and the heros.

The game is a balance of keeping heros protecting the village and making enough money (from the village) to pay the heros to prevent the village being torn down by monsters.